Myrtle Beach Pelicans: Game Notes, July 23 vs. Winston-Salem
July 23, 2018 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans try to salvage their three-game series with the Winston-Salem Dash in Monday's 7:05 p.m. contest. RHP Alex Lange (6-6, 3.31 ERA) starts for the Birds against Winston-Salem LHP John Parke (2-1, 3.60 ERA). Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on MiLB.tv, MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, TuneIn and the MiLB First Pitch app.
MYRTLE BEACH FALLS TO WINSTON-SALEM 7-2
Big middle innings for Winston-Salem propelled the Dash Sunday to a 7-2 victory over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. Tyler Alamo broke a scoreless tie with an RBI single in the fourth inning. However, Winston-Salem responded immediately in the fifth with Luis Gonzalez's RBI ground out and a two-run base hit by Ti'Quan Forbes to make it 3-1 Dash. In the sixth, Gavin Sheets notched an RBI single before Yermin Mercedes' sacrifice fly made it a 5-1 game. A two-run single for Laz Rivera in the eighth put the margin at 7-1. Roberto Caro registered an RBI single in the ninth inning, but the Birds could get no closer. Caro and Jhonny Pereda compiled multi-hit games in the loss.
A NAME THAT EVOKES TEXTS OF PANIC
Over his last 10 starts dating back to May 17, Alex Lange has pitched to a 2.53 ERA in 53.1 innings. During that span, the Lee's Summit, Mo., native has struck out 52 against 11 walks. This extended hot streak has pushed Lange's FIP, an ERA estimator based on factors most within a pitcher's control like strikeouts, walks and home runs, down to 3.05, the second-best mark in the Carolina League. The former LSU Tiger is second in the circuit in WHIP (1.11) thanks to his impeccable control; Lange has walked only 5.3 percent of batters this season, the fourth-lowest in the league. Also backing his 3.31 ERA, the sixth-best in the CL, is his 22.3 percent strikeout rate, which ranks seventh. Opponents are also just 8-for-15 (53.3 percent) stealing bases against Lange, the sixth-lowest such mark in the league. Lange's 44.3 percent ground ball rate ranks 11th in the circuit.
STORM ON THE COURSE
Myrtle Beach ranks in the bottom half of the Carolina League in every single offensive category. The Pelicans have mustered just 360 runs this season, 41 fewer than that of ninth-place Carolina, which is as close to third-place Frederick (442) as they are to Myrtle Beach. The Birds' .646 OPS is also by far the worst in the league, .031 away from the ninth-place Mudcats, who are closer to fourth-place Salem (.704) as they are to the Pelicans. Myrtle Beach also ranks last in slugging percentage (.331), doubles (131), hits (745) and home runs (42), with those marks significantly below the league's ninth-place club in each respective category.
TWO HANDS FOR HELP
Myrtle Beach's bullpen has caught fire over the last 11 games. During that span, Pelicans relievers have worked 42.0 innings, an average of nearly four per game, and surrendered just nine runs, seven earned, on 32 hits (6.9 H/9) for a 1.50 ERA. The Birds' bullpen has combined for 36 strikeouts (7.7 K/9) against 10 walks (2.1 BB/9) during this span.
SURROUND THOSE GOOD NUMBERS
In 98 games between Myrtle Beach, Double-A Tennessee and Low-A South Bend in 2017, Roberto Caro hit just .239/.351/.343 (.694 OPS) with 17 extra-base hits and 20 stolen bases. In just 52 contests this season with the Pelicans and Low-A Cubs, Caro is slashing a combined .376/.457/.525 (.982 OPS), logging 26 steals and already surpassing last year's extra-base hits total with 19. The San Cristobal, D.R., native has multiple knocks in eight of his 16 games so far with the Birds. Caro has registered at least one hit in 11 of the last 12 contests, going 19-for-42 (.452/.500/.548) with three doubles, five RBIs and nine stolen bases.
WHEN YOU ROLL A 9
In the first four games following his July 7 promotion from Low-A South Bend to Myrtle Beach, Jared Young went just 2-for-15 (.133) with an RBI and three walks. However, the Prince George, British Columbia native seems to be starting to figure out the High-A level. Young is currently working on an nine-game hitting streak, batting 11-for-35 (.314/.333/.486) with a pair of home runs, four RBIs and a free pass over this run.
PELICAN POINTS
Jhonny Pereda is 19-for-55 over his last 13 contests, accumulating a line of .345/390/.473 over that span. He has knocked in eight runs (2B, 2 HR) during this run... In an even 80 meetings since the start of 2015, the Birds have compiled a 44-36 (.550) record against Winston-Salem. About two-thirds of those battles have been decided by no more than three runs, and in those contests, the Pelicans total a 33-20 (.623) record against the Dash... The Birds count 2013 as the last time they were swept back-to-back. In one day, Myrtle Beach starts a four-game set at Carolina.
Carolina League Stories from July 23, 2018
- Mudcats and Hillcats Suspended on Monday Night - Carolina Mudcats
- Pelicans Drop Finale 6-1 to Complete Dash's Brooming - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Parke's Strong Start Leads Dash to Sweep over Pelicans - Winston-Salem Dash
- Hillcats and Mudcats Suspended on Monday - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Rocks Earn Doubleheader and Series Sweep of the Keys - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Wood Duck Offense and Bruce End the Losing Streak - Down East Wood Ducks
- Blue Rocks Sweep Doubleheader, Series - Frederick Keys
- Winston-Salem Dash: Game Notes (July 23 at Myrtle Beach) - Winston-Salem Dash
- Chu Named Carolina League Player of the Week - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Myrtle Beach Pelicans: Game Notes, July 23 vs. Winston-Salem - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- July 23 - Carolina Mudcats Game Information - Carolina Mudcats
- Salem Perplex Potomac in 3-1 Win Monday - Salem Red Sox
- RHP Blake Hickman reinstated off the disabled list - Winston-Salem Dash
- Pelicans to Host Curtis Pride & Deaf Awareness Night on August 19 - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- P-Nats Drop Series Finale in Salem 3-1 - Potomac Nationals
- Mudcats Survive 6-5 Marathon Victory in Lynchburg - Carolina Mudcats
- Carolina Takes Back-And-Fourth, Rain Soaked Battle in Ten Innings - Lynchburg Hillcats
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